1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multilayer ceramic capacitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, ceramic electronic components, represented by multilayer ceramic capacitors, have come to be used in harsher environments than before.
For example, multilayer ceramic capacitors used in mobile equipment, such as mobile phones and portable music players, are expected to withstand impact from a fall. Specifically, it is necessary to ensure that the multilayer ceramic capacitors neither detach from the substrate on which they are mounted nor crack even if the equipment takes impact from a fall.
As for multilayer ceramic capacitors used in in-car equipment, such as ECU (electronic control units), they are expected to withstand impact from thermal cycles. Specifically, it is necessary to ensure that the multilayer ceramic capacitors do not crack even if exposed to a flexural stress resulting from thermal expansion and contraction of the substrate on which they are mounted caused by thermal cycles.
In response to these expectations, it has been proposed to use a thermosetting electroconductive resin paste as material for outer electrodes of multilayer ceramic capacitors. For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-162771, an epoxy-based thermosetting resin layer is formed between electrode and Ni plating layers as a measure to ensure that the multilayer body does not crack even in a harsh environment.
However, designs in which an epoxy-based thermosetting resin layer is formed between electrode and Ni plating layers as in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-162771 can be disadvantageous in that the contact resistance between the epoxy-based thermosetting resin and Ni plating layers can be high, and that the equivalent series resistance (hereinafter referred to as “ESR”) can be high. Furthermore, since the epoxy-based thermosetting resin layer is formed to cover the entire electrode layer as in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-162771, these designs can be disadvantageous in that the ESR is high for this reason as well, besides that the end-face thickness of the outer electrode is large.